As Fate Would Have It
by Blockbusterism
Summary: Princess Lacey Porter is betrothed to Archibald Yates, though her heart undoubtedly belongs to a certain swordsman and close friend by the name of Daniel "Danny" Desai. What happens when she begins to travel to the Yates Kingdom to finalize the arranged union with Danny in tow?


**A/N**: Hello everyone! This is a piece that I've had in mind since the beginning of Twisted last year. This was originally going to be a multi-chapter fic but after some planning, I realized that that would probably be a too big of a task for me to take, especially when I already have "Street Kings" that hasn't been updated in forever (I'm so sorry I keep putting it off but I promise I _will_ finish it! xD). So the main idea has been stripped and condensed into this two-shot. This was **very** out-of-the-box for me so I have a few reservations but nothing develops a writer more like pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, right? :) I hope you all enjoy it though!

**DISCLAIMER**: Minor character death, violence, blood, gore and sexual themes are present in this fic. If any of these make you uncomfortable in any way, I do not recommend reading it!

* * *

**As Fate Would Have It**

"Remain still, child," Tess chastised as she tightened the last bit of ribbon that hung from the bodice and proceeded to tie the ends into an intricate knot.

"I shall surely be dead from asphyxiation before noon," Lacey muttered under her breath, struggling not to contort her body in pain as the material clung to her like a second skin.

"I heard that," Judith scolded from the opposite end of the room as she stood and daintily crossed the short distance to stand in front of her daughter. "You would do best to bridle your tongue, daughter. Archibald nor his family will not take kindly to any form of impudence, particularly not from their queen-to-be."

Lacey submerged a roll of her eyes as she kept her chin up, nearly biting into her tongue to keep another retort from escaping her lips. Her frame was involuntarily straightened to an almost painful degree as the older woman behind her fluffed the flowing satin of her gown one final time before taking a step back with a contented sigh.

"Well, go on and take a look, my child," Tess suggested wistfully.

After a moment of hesitance, Lacey reluctantly shuffled across the indigo carpeting, the rays of the mid-morning sun painting the lavishly decorated room in warm hues of red and orange as Lacey approached the fine mirror. She regarded her reflection in something akin to awe, taking in the low cut of the heart-shaped bodice that accentuated her svelte figure, the blue lace that clung to her arms and contrasted quite beautifully to her dark skin, and the billowy blue satin with a hint of indigo that reflected in the light that cascaded down her body and brushed against the floor. Her normally flawless face was absolutely radiant with the touch of powder and light shimmery gold expertly applied to her eyelids. Her tight curls were beautifully arranged into a high chignon with tiny silver jeweled pins and several wisps framing her face. Gleaming white pearls encircled her neck, further accentuating the regal image before her.

What stood out the most was the gaudy, emerald jewel that sat in a silver band slipped on the fourth finger on her left hand.

An unmistakable sign of the arranged courtship that would surely be finalized by nightfall.

She looked like every bit of the queen she was going to be.

And the very thought of it made her want to push the mirror from where it perched on its gold-encrusted stand.

Watch the carefully constructed image shatter into countless pieces.

Lacey was sure that her countenance revealed her thoughts because a gentle hand rested on the small of her back and she looked up with glassy eyes to find her mother staring back at her, a sad smile tugging the corner of her lips.

"It is for the best of the kingdom, daughter," Judith whispered, her own eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Your people need you."

* * *

Lacey kept her face devoid of any emotion as she slowly descended the stairs of the castle, willing herself not turn around, race up the stairs and collapse into the arms of her father. She could practically feel the gaze of the aged King Samuel with Queen Judith to his right, surrounded by their royal servants and guards, burning into her back, making her gait feel even weightier as she fought to keep her warring thoughts at bay.

She wished her dear sister were present beside her.

Though she was certain that she'd be absolutely overwhelmed with exasperation with the younger girl's nonsensical prattling, she would feel a smidgen of comfort nonetheless.

But she had already been wedded away to another kingdom a distance of several days away at the tender age of eighteen.

And in all of her twenty years of existence, Lacey was sure that she'd never felt more miserable.

At least she had her lady-in-waiting and best friend to keep her company for the time being.

"I'm sure I've told you this a million times before, but truly, My Lady, you are absolutely stunning today," Regina hummed as she kept a firm grip on Lacey's gloved hand.

"Thank you," Lacey whispered, her eyes downcast as she approached the foot of the courtyard. She could hear the booming sound of galloping horses and the scraping wheels of approaching carriages as they descended the final step yet she continued to keep her gaze to her shuffling feet, allowing Regina to all but pull her towards their carriage.

"My Lady," Regina whispered in her ear, her voice filled with grave concern. "Do not look up in haste. Brace yourself."

"What?" Lacey replied, disregarding the ginger girl's cautious words and immediately looking up to see the source of Regina's hushed warning.

And she instantly regretted not taking heed.

Because she was completely unprepared for the sight of the male standing beside the open door of her carriage.

His black, calf-length boots with his tan slacks neatly tucked into them.

The belt tied securely around his waist with his sword secured by his side.

The light armor that shielded his torso, etched with the insignia of her family on the left breast.

The cloak draped around his shoulders and hung behind him.

His silky, shoulder-length mane smoothed into a simple knot on his head.

His face molded into a passive expression yet his large brown eyes latched onto hers, revealing to her all of the things that he couldn't say.

Lacey's foot caught into the flowing gown and she would have stumbled face first onto the cold stones beneath her feet had it not been for the large, warm hands that suddenly braced themselves on her upper arms, the mere feel of them burning into her skin underneath the lace, as if they were attempting to brand her with their unique print.

If the tight bodice around her restricted her airway before, Lacey was positively dying of air now as the last man that she expected to see helped her to right herself, his mere proximity causing her knees to buckle shamelessly underneath the gown and she thanked the heavens that the thick material hid the bodily reaction as her senses were suddenly assaulted by the distinct scent of spicy apple wood and leather. Her lips parted on their own accord, eyelashes fluttering as she resolutely denied him the eye contact that she knew that he desperately sought, muttering a nearly silent 'Thank you' as she hastily entered the carriage with Regina behind her.

If Lacey felt miserable before, she was surely rotting away inside as she struggled to control the violent beating of her heart within her rib cage.

And she had no one else to thank for that than Daniel Desai.

* * *

The only sound that could be heard within the compartment was the rumbling of the moving carriages as cavalry traveled through the dense forest. Regina had long since given up on pulling the princess into meaningless conversation, seeing as the other woman had drawn within herself and was submerged in her own thoughts, and she could only suppress a long-winded sigh.

Lacey absentmindedly plucked away at the satin portion of her gown, completely unaware of the disapproving look from Regina, her mind stuck on an unfortunate infinite loop of _that _particular night.

"_I know you're there," Danny said with a sigh, stretching his arms high above his head, the light of the full moon illuminating the tight muscles of his bare back._

"_I was sure to be quiet this time," Lacey murmured in mild disappointment as she stepped around the corner of the dimly lit space surrounded by walls of hard stone. Various weapons neatly adorned the far wall, more than enough for over a hundred men and women, yet they were the only ones present, given the hour of the night._

"_I'm sure I've heard wild boars with lighter footfalls," Danny said with a wry smile, looking over his shoulder to find Lacey standing several yards away, the moonlight casting beautifully on her skin, making her appearance nearly ethereal in her light nightgown, her black curls hanging loose to brush against her shoulders in a dark halo. _

_The sight of her stirred something deep within him and by the way he noticed her eyes roam his naked torso, lithe yet compact with muscles forged from years of sword training, he was fairly sure that her thoughts were beginning to mirror his own._

_All the more reason to cut this little late-night rendezvous short._

_But, as expected, the princess would never allow things to be as simple as they could be._

_Because she could read him just as well as he could read her._

_Always have._

_And by the way her hopeful smile quickly fell from her lips as she took in his now expressionless face, he knew that she was definitely cognizant of where both of their minds were at the moment._

"_You've been avoiding me," Lacey spoke softly, wringing her hands in front of her as she looked down at her slippers._

"_With good reason," Danny muttered, crouching to retrieve the tunic he had discarded on the floor several hours ago, wiping the rough material against his moist skin as he moved to walk past her. "Good night, princess."_

_Danny nearly halted at her sharp intake of breath, knowing full well the cause behind the reaction._

_He knew that she absolutely abhorred whenever he addressed her with formalities._

_But it did not prevent him from using them._

_So great was the pain in his own chest._

"_You are a coward."_

_Danny ceased his shuffling, his eyebrows knitting in obvious displeasure as he slowly turned to face the girl and was taken aback by the amount of pain etched onto her delicate features. However, it did nothing to assuage his building frustration. "Pardon?"_

"_Do not play deaf!" Lacey whispered fiercely, her voice wavering under emotion. "If you detest me, just admit it."_

_Danny's eyes widened in shock before he swiftly stepped forward, gripping the tunic in his hands with tight fists. "How could you accuse me of such a thing?"_

"_Is it not true?!" Lacey shot back, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "It has been a month since—,"_

"_Don't—"_

"—_I've been betrothed to Archibald and you've made it a point to avoid me as if I was riddled with disease!" Lacey cried. "You flee whenever I approach and you can hardly stand to look at m—"_

"_What do you expect, Lacey!?" Danny all but shouted, belatedly realizing that they were mere inches apart now. "How appropriate would it be to carry on as we normally would when you belong to another man?!"_

"_I belong to no one!"_

"_You will be wedded in two weeks!"_

"_You say this as if I have a choice!"_

"_Whether or not you have a choice is moot! It does nothing to change the fact that you will be gone and I will be left to pine after you like a pitiful dog!"_

_Danny's mouth immediately clamped shut, knowing he'd revealed far too much._

"_W-what?" Lacey could only reply, voice hardly above a whisper._

"_You shouldn't have come here," Danny said with a slight shake of his head, moving to turn around but froze in place at the hand that wrapped around his wrist._

_The soft touch alone was more than he could handle, the warmth causing his blood to heat and he breathed deeply. "Let me go, Lacey," Danny warned, his voice very different from the frigid tone he had used just a moment ago._

"_Why?" she simply asked, her grip only tightening._

_And with each passing second, his resolve weakened._

"_Because the longer I remain in your hold, the more I grow afraid of what I might do to you."_

"_And what shall you do to me?"_

_And Danny could not quite ascertain whether it was her words or the tone of her voice, but what he did know is that whatever form of constraint that prevented him from acting on his most carnal desires—the ones that fueled the vivid dreams that assaulted his mind nearly every night and had him waking up in cold sweat and his lower half embarrassingly moist and sticky—suddenly dissolved and he found himself pushing her against the wall, ignoring the sharp gasp that tumbled from her lips as her back collided with the cold stones as his lips descended on hers, his tunic long discarded as his hands groping at every expanse of her body that they could possibly reach._

_His pelvis rocked into hers as he molded his lips against her soft, supple ones, enjoying the sinful way she responded eagerly to his touches as her hands roamed about his own body, seeking balance at anywhere they could find before settling for his shoulders. Both of their actions were quite amateurish, being incredibly inexperienced, with their noses occasionally grazing and teeth accidentally nipping away at their mouths here and there yet neither minded it at all._

_It was all so wrong._

_So wrong._

_Danny wrenched his lips from hers only to latch onto the slender skin of her neck, peppering the area with kisses as he struggled out, "Tell me to stop."_

_Lacey's hand tangled in his hair, loosening the mane from its confines, the tendrils spilling around his face as she tilted her head, allowing him greater access. "I will not," she sighed, her eyes closed in sheer bliss as she willfully surrendered to the sensations brought about by his lips alone._

"_I will ruin you," he cautioned, his tongue jutting out to graze the dip of her collarbone, earning a jolt and an escaped moan from her and causing his loins to sing._

"_Then ruin me."_

_And those words were ultimately his undoing._

_With something similar to a growl, Danny crashed his lips against her, forcing his tongue into her mouth as his hands gripped the flimsy material of her nightgown, bunching it up around her waist and exposing her endless legs to the cool night air. He reached for the cloth shielding her center and he nearly collapsed at the slick wetness that already coated the inside of her thighs. Releasing a sharp exhale through his nostrils, Danny immediately crouched down, his fingers curling around the hem of her underwear and sliding them down as he ignored the tent growing in his own loose slacks. He only managed to get one leg free before the heady scent of her arousal filtered his senses and his eyes became fixated on her glistening folds._

_The longer his eyes remained on her core, the more self-conscious Lacey grew and she made a move to clench her thighs together but she was quickly blocked by his hand gripping the firm skin, pulling her free leg to rest on his shoulder, leaving her at the mercy of his actions. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip and she shot forward, teeth nearly breaking into the skin the moment she felt his tongue tentatively lick against her arousal._

"_D-Danny," she breathed out in surprise, her hands curling into his hair as pleasure pooled into her abdomen, causing her knees to quake with such want that she was sure she would have fallen had it not been for Danny's sturdy grip._

_Never in wildest dreams did she ever imagine being the recipient of such an intimate act._

_And it felt so good._

_Too good._

_Lacey's head lulled as his tongue delved deeper, carving into her as it swirled and dipped into her, involuntary moans and nonsensical words bubbling from her lips until she could only bite into a tight fist to mute herself. It was a shrewd decision to make because when his lips enveloped the sensitive bundle of nerves, she couldn't suppress the shrill cry that escaped her mouth, muffled only by her hand._

_Her legs quivered and she began to shamelessly buck against his face, her eyes clenched shut as he focused on exclusively on the swollen nub, alternating between eagerly licking and sucking at her clitoris. Just as she was beginning to feel a ball of heat coiling within her stomach, hinting at the end of her, Danny suddenly removed his face from her now dripping core, earning a squeak of protest from her in response._

_Lacey slowly opened her eyes to find Danny leaning his forehead against hers, his half-lidded eyes fixed on her face as his hand found its way to her center one again while the other braced against the wall by her head. He watched with avid interest, taking in every hitch of her breath, the furrowing of her eyebrows, the pleasure etched on her face as he thumbed quick circles onto her nub._

_But Danny was unprepared for the dainty hand that slipped into his slacks, breaching his underwear and immediately finding his hardened member, the head already beginning to leak with prolonged release as she pulled and twisted her hand around the thick flesh. He groaned deeply within his throat, his hand quickening its motions against her as she did the same._

_He kept his eyes open despite the feel of her hand, his gaze never leaving her face as he watched her soar towards her impending release._

_He was sure that the image of her face contorted in pleasure, the product of undoing by his hand, would cause irreparable damage his entire being, knowing it would be the first and the last instance with her._

_But he would gladly accept his damnation and carry it to the deepest pits of Hell._

_And the thought of it had him finding his own release, the thick bands of semen shooting out and coating the inside of his slacks and his bare abdomen as her hand faltered, her mouth ajar in a silent scream as she reached nirvana._

_Danny sagged against her, his weight pinning her against the stone as they breathed deeply, their breaths mingling as they descended from their mutual high._

_And, just as quickly, the crippling shame of it all began to settle in Danny's bones._

_He had ruined her._

_Just like he promised._

_And he quickly pulled himself away, his troubled gaze landing on her serene expression, but instead of providing him with a measure of peace, the look reinforced the self-contempt that twisted and gnawed at his intestines and he quickly shoved his softening member within his pants._

_Lacey opened her eyes to find Danny backing away from her, his eyes wide with mortification and the sight of it was enough to crush her heart into pieces. "Danny, no, wai—"_

"_You should not have come here," Danny whispered once again, grabbing his tunic from the floor and slipping it over his head with shaky fingers. "Goodbye, Lacey," he choked out before he hastily began his retreat. Lacey nearly stumbled as she peeled herself off the wall, yanking her underwear upwards and hastily straightening her nightgown as she followed him as best as her wobbly legs could._

"_Danny, plea—," Lacey begged, her voice crumbling as her eyes grew wet once more. She grabbed at his arm but this time, he forcefully yanked it away from her hold with a firm shake of his head as he quickened his pace._

_This time, Lacey could not prevent her tears from falling as she watched his receding figure. Her hands flew to her mouth, suppressing her sobs as she crumbled to her knees, the bliss that she felt just moments ago long replaced by a cold emptiness and dull sorrow, the heavens serving as silent witnesses to all that had just transpired._

Though the shameful deed occurred two weeks ago, it was seared into Lacey's mind as if it occurred just minutes ago.

She certainly did not regret what they had done.

In fact, a significant part of her still craved his touch immensely.

But the look on his face after the fact still haunted her to no end.

The days following that fateful night, it was as though Danny Desai had fallen off of the face of the earth.

He was absent from the courtyard, the training grounds, the stalls, the great hall.

She searched all of the places he frequented the most and came up empty every single time.

So it was small wonder that she reacted the way she did when she realized he'd be a part of the cavalry leading her away from what she always considered to be her home.

Leading her to another man that she will undoubtedly be required to produce an heir for.

Leading her to a loveless union for her to live out the rest of her pitiful years.

The thought alone was enough to sour her stomach and upchuck the bit of dry bread, fresh brie, and handful of grapes she was forced to eat this morning, despite her lack of an appetite.

Lacey finally raised her eyes to find Regina dozing off across from her, despite the tumultuous rocking of the carriage navigating the thick shrubbery, and she allowed a small smile to grace her lips at the sight.

Regina, the daughter of the wealthy aristocrats known as the Cranes, had been Lacey's confidante from the tender age of eight—having exuded the maturity and the necessary skills of that of girls twice her age to tend to the young princess.

It certainly helped that Lacey had all but begged Queen Judith to select the redheaded girl, desperate for playmate of the same gender.

More often times than not, Lacey found herself in the other girl's room, huddled under the sheets as she divulged her most intimate thoughts and secrets, including that night.

_Desperate pounding on her bedroom door jolted Regina out of her deep slumber. Fearing the worst, the ginger quickly threw her duvet to the side to slide off of the bed and hurry towards the door. She quickly swung the door open only to find a tearful Lacey standing pitifully before her._

"_I made things worse," Lacey choked out._

_Instinctively knowing who her superior was referring to, Regina sighed, pulling Lacey into her room and immediately shutting the door behind her._

_Quite accustomed to this habit already, Lacey practically threw herself onto the bed, muffling her soft cries with one of Regina's pillows. She felt the duvet cover her frame and a comforting hand rubbing along the expanse of her back as she slowly reigned in her emotions._

_When she was sufficiently in control, Lacey turned to her side, her eyes red and her face slightly swollen as she stared at Regina, who also laid on her side to face her. Regina pouted, shaking her head as she raised a hand to wipe a stray tear from Lacey's face._

"_My Lady, no offense but you are positively a mess at the moment," Regina said with a smile, which only widened when she finally noticed a ghost of a smile appear on her superior's face._

"_Tell me what happened. Leave nothing out," Regina gently requested._

_And she listened with rapt attention as Lacey revealed everything, even though she visibly blushed during some of the more intimate details._

"_You should have seen his face, Regina," Lacey sighed dejectedly. "He was so ashamed."_

"_Well, honestly, My Lady, I don't exactly understand why," Regina said with a roll of her blue eyes. "You both seemed to have enjoyed it immensely from what I've heard. So what is the problem here?"_

"_Regina!" Lacey balked. "The point is that it should not have happened! You know as well as I do that I am now betrothed!"_

"_To a man that you've never met," Regina clarified with a raise of a thin eyebrow. "And there was no formal intercourse, correct? So it is not as though you are now carrying a little Danny in your belly."_

"_But—,"_

"_Honestly, My Lady," Regina exhaled in slight exasperation. "You two are so enamored with each other, it is painful to watch the way you navigate in each other's spaces at times. That may have very well been your first and last chance to truly enjoy being with a man that you love. Treasure that memory while you still can."_

"_But what about Da—,"_

"_Danny is a man; a man with incredible restraint and self-control. He knows what he has done. He may feel ashamed now—though from what I have heard, he has no reason to be with such talented mouth and hands," Regina said with a sly smile, earning a playful slap on the thigh from Lacey. "—but I am willing to wager with my entire inheritance that he truly does not regret his actions, just the circumstances that are beyond both of your control. Now I will not entertain anymore guilt or self-loathing on your part, My Lady."_

_Lacey thoughtfully chewed on the inside of her cheek as Regina's words permeated her mind. Eventually, she gave the other girl an earnest smile._

_She could always trust Regina to set her straight in matters of the heart._

"_I don't know how I would possibly manage without you, Regina," Lacey sighed, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl._

"_With all due respect, My Lady, and it is certainly not my intention to be prideful," Regina replied with a shrug, "but I honestly believe that you would not manage at all without me."_

_Both knowing this to be true, the girls shared a hearty laugh under the duvet._

Smiling at the recent memory, Lacey braced herself against the interior of the carriage before sliding into the plush bench beside Regina, causing the girl to stir awake at the process.

"Have we not arrived yet?" Regina said while muffling a small yawn behind one dainty fist.

Lacey shook her head. "No and I believe we should be traveling for a few more hours, at best."

Regina nodded in silence, blinking away the drowsiness for her eyes. They remained in silence for a little bit until Regina began to absentmindedly play with the gleaming jewelry on Lacey's hand.

"Do you want to try it on?" Lacey giggled. "Pretend to be a princess like we did when we were younger."

"Well, if you insist," Regina laughed and she watched as Lacey slid the ring off of her finger and onto her own. "The Yates are no strangers to extravagance, that is for certain," Regina said, admiring the ring on her finger as she moved to pillow her head onto Lacey's lap, a simple action that Lacey would occasionally perform with her at their leisure.

"I wholeheartedly agree, My Lady," Lacey chuckled as she smoothed the pressed curls piled onto Regina's head.

Just as Lacey was gently wrapping her index finger around an errant strand, the deafening sound of an explosion and the sudden halt of the carriage sent both women careening onto the hard bottom of the carriage.

"My Lady, are you alright?!" Regina cried, a tinge of fear coloring her voice.

"Ye—," Lacey began to reply before it morphed into a shriek as the carriage suddenly tipped onto its side, sending the women flying into the splintered wood beneath them.

Horses were whinnying about in sheer panic while men could be heard shouting in all directions. The sound of metal clashing brutally against each other filtered into the carriage as the girls attempted to collect themselves.

Suddenly, the door of the carriage was wrenched open above them, sunlight filtering into the confined space and momentary blinding the women to the sight of a man, the lower half of his face shielded as he peered into the space.

"I've found the princess!" he hollered behind him.

Before either Lacey or Regina could fully register his words, the man lunged into the space, his hand roughly entangling into Regina's hair as he forcefully hauled her up, ignoring the girl's shrill cry of pain as she clawed at his arm.

"NO! Release her!" Lacey screamed, scrambling to remove the man's grip from Regina's hair. She was roughly pushed away and she landed onto the jagged wood once again, left whimpering in pain as the thick splinters sliced against her back.

Lacey could hear Regina's screams amidst the apparent brawl that was happening within the forest and she slowly raised herself up as best as she could despite the tight restrictions of her dress. She winced at the shallow scratches that marked her back but her injuries were the least of her worries as she hurried to climb out of the carriage.

She was completely unprepared for the bloodbath that was happening before her.

And certainly was not prepared to see the beheading of her dear friend, Regina, right before her very eyes.

* * *

Lacey's eyes remained wide and unblinking, her fingers practically digging into to the edge of the carriage.

Unaware that she was screaming.

Unaware of the tears that streamed endlessly down her face.

Until two strong hands were placed underneath her arms and she was forcibly hauled from the carriage and placed on the ground. Her legs refused to cooperate however and she ungracefully tumbled to the ground, her satin dress now soiled by the dirt beneath her.

The image of the large axe raised high above the butcher's head, the thick blade gleaming in the sunlight before it was swung down with force.

The sickening sound of bone being ruthlessly snapped in two.

Her shrieks for leniency abruptly cut into a dark silence.

Bright red blood pooling about, darkening the ground underneath.

The blade mercilessly being dragged against the ground in a complete severing of flesh.

All of it replayed in her mind in an infinite loop and it was too much for her to withstand as she retched the meager contents that were in her stomach onto the dirt below until all her body would do would produce painful, dry heaves.

Gloved hands spanned at her back and smoothed out the moist curls at the base of her neck as she slowly recovered.

"Lace…"

Lacey opened her eyes, unable to recognize the person before her in their blurred state. Her vision finally began to focus and she realized it was Danny, his face tight with worry and his clothes sprinkled with blood.

"D-Danny," Lacey croaked.

Danny exhaled sharply in something akin to relief as he suddenly pressed her body against his. "Thank the heavens you're alright," he murmured.

Aware of their dicey situation, Danny quickly released her, holding at arm's length as he stared imploringly into her once-bright eyes, now dull with pain and trauma. "Listen to me very carefully, Lacey. We've been ambushed and whoever these men are….they are out to execute every last one of us. I'm going to remove your dress and I'm going to give you my cloak. Understood?"

Danny wasn't sure if Lacey had fully comprehend his words nor the weight of them but the longer they remained crouched behind the carriage, the sooner they would be found amidst the skirmish between their cavalry and the enemy. Without any more time to waste, Danny removed a dagger from within his armor and proceeded to neatly cut away at the material while Lacey remained still, the sounds of metal clashing and groaning men and flesh being sliced in two filtering through her mind and chipping away at the bit of sanity that remained.

Once the dress was completely removed, Danny quickly threw the shredded remains of the dress into the carriage as Lacey remained crouched in her undergarments in silence. She watched as he expertly lit a match, throwing the tiny flame into the carriage as well. As the smell of burning satin and wood began to waft into the air, Danny wrenched his cloak from his shoulders and wrapped it around Lacey's own.

"Run into the shrubbery there and hide yourself as well as you can," Danny ordered sternly, pointing some distance away. Yet Lacey was already violently shaking her head, clinging to his arms in absolute terror.

"Lacey," Danny whispered, quickly grabbing her tear-streaked face into his hands. "Lacey, look at me. I'll be fine. I'll be right behind you."

For good measure, Danny kissed the corner of her mouth, his lips lingering on the heated skin for a moment before he backed away. He surveyed their surroundings for a second before frantically beckoning for her to move. With unsteady limbs, Lacey shot out of the clearance of the forest, crouching deep into the dense leaves several yards away.

Releasing a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding, Danny got to his feet, taking one surreptitious glance towards where she hid before assessing the damage before him.

A significant portion of their cavalry—if not, the majority—laid on the ground either slain or horrifically wounded, though those who were still capable continued to strike back valiantly.

Though he told Lacey that he'd be fine, there was a solid chance that he would not make it out alive.

He could only pray that, in the event that that would occur, Lacey would manage to find help on her own.

But, right now, he was disposed in laying down his life for the princess.

So Danny unsheathed his sword and fearlessly leaped into the raging battle.

* * *

Time ceased to be a measurable factor for Lacey as she hid amongst the heavy vegetation. If the orange and purple hues from the tiny portion of the sky that she could see served as any indication, however, she could reasonably conclude that it somewhat late into the afternoon.

Lacey struggled to keep her breathing shallow, fearful of whoever might take a gander in her direction and realize where she was.

All she could focus on was surviving until the next day.

She fought to keep her mind blank as she allowed her body to strive on sheer instinct alone.

Yet a part of her feared what would happen to her spirit once the adrenaline rushing within her veins dissipated and she was left dealing with the aftermath of all that had transpired.

She feared that she would be irrevocably broken.

She was sure that if Danny did not return like promised, she would immediately descend into madness.

Thankfully, she had his cloak—a dark forest green that was more than suitable for effective camouflaging. His scent was still imprinted within the fabric and it somewhat eased her chaotic nerves to have it surround her as she laid hidden.

The sound of boots shuffling through the dirt trail just a few feet away had Lacey burrowing herself into the leaves as soundlessly as she could, her heart nearly in her throat as she prayed to the heavens that she would not be found.

"Lacey…"

Lacey opened her eyes, immediately jolting from her position, disregarding the tiny branches and moss that clung to her hair as she parted the leaves to stand, finding a haggard, worn, and soiled Danny staring tiredly at her. His hair, caked with blood and dirt, was no longer in a top knot and hung limply around his face. His armor remained relatively intact with minor scratches peppered across its surface yet his slacks were shredded, baring shallow cuts.

Yet just the mere sight of him had Lacey rushing towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she embraced him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes once more as she breathed in his very existence.

Relief was nowhere near an accurate descriptor of how she felt at that very moment.

"Are you okay?" Danny murmured once she pulled away from him, his eyes roaming her body for any injuries.

Lacey quickly nodded her head, adjusting his cloak around herself. "I'm fine. No one found me."

"Good…good," Danny sighed, his eyes drooping slightly with fatigue. "However, we must…leave immediately," he said slowly, turning away from her as he began to deviate from the dirt trail.

But he did not get terribly far at all.

Because he stumbled and collapsed onto the dirt, bracing his right side as he gritted his teeth in agony.

"Danny!?" Lacey cried, kneeling by his side in an instant. "You're injured!" She grabbed his shoulders, easing his body so that he laid on the ground. It was at this point she could see the distinct splotch of blood that coated the tunic underneath the armor that laid exposed just beneath his underarm.

Panic began overwhelm Lacey as her hands frantically searched for a way to remove his armor but it was a near impossible task.

Not at the risk of causing further, excruciating pain to the man before her, whose breathing grew more and more labored with each passing second as sweat began to form at his temples, his face twisted in discomfort.

Lacey frantically yanked the cloak from her shoulders and attempted to press the thick material onto the wound, her eyes growing moist with tears as the green fabric quickly turned into a harsh burgundy.

"L-Lacey…" Danny whispered, his eyes unfocused as he began to lose consciousness. "You must escape…find help. Those men will return…and they will not leave…any survivors."

Lacey's eyes widened in shock, the tears spilling onto her cheeks as she sobbed, "I cannot just leave you to-to—." She couldn't bear to finish the thought as she began to weep openly, her hands gripping desperately onto his armor.

"Lacey…," Danny murmured, smiling weakly as he struggled to raise a clammy hand to cradle her face, her own hand quickly raising to interlock their fingers. "You are…being irrational."

"H-how can you say such a thing in your condition?!" Lacey exclaimed, beginning to cry even harder. "How could you expect me to leave you here!?"

"Because…I swore an oath to protect you," Danny breathed out, a trickle of blood escaping his lips and trailing down the side of his face as his thumb brushed affectionately across her cheek. "If I die…my soul would never find peace…knowing t-that you were killed on account of me."

"B-but—,"

"Do not quarrel with me," Danny croaked. "I have accepted…my fate." His eyes began to flutter close, sending Lacey into renewed panic.

"P-please, Danny. Stay awake for but a while longer," Lacey sniffled, swiping at her face with her free hand to clear her hazy vision. She tried to force a reassuring smile but she was certain that it appeared more as pained grimace instead. "I'm sure someone will come for us soon."

"I pray that…in my next life," Danny mumbled, his voice barely audible as another gentle smile crossed his face. "we meet again…under different circumstances. Perhaps then…I'll be worthy of you…"

And Danny's eyes drifted shut.

"D-Danny?" Lacey whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking as her trembling fingers brushed against his face. "Danny!?"

No response.

"Danny, wake up!" Lacey bawled, disregarding his wound as she shook him as hard as she could, his limp body merely jerking with the repeated action. "Danny!"

"Danny!"

* * *

Lacey wasn't sure how long she remained crouched there, her face buried into Danny's armor as she sobbed brokenly.

She no longer cared for whatever danger that laid ahead.

She no longer cared if there were men returning for the sole purpose of watching her spill onto the dirt.

At this point, she would gladly accept death in any form that it approached her.

So it did not quite come as a shock to her when a gentle hand brushed against her shoulder.

Perhaps she truly had descended into madness.

Lacey raised herself onto her knees, rheumy, bloodshot eyes blinking repeatedly as she realized that the sun was about to set and soon the area would be bathed in darkness. Her blurred vision eventually focused on the sight of a petite girl with wild blonde hair, dressed in tight-fitting slacks and a simple, tunic, a bow and a quiver full of arrows tied to her back, her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Have you finally come to kill me?" Lacey muttered, her hoarse voice sounding very different to her ears. "Get on with it already."

The blonde shifted on her booted feet as she unfolded her arms to brace her hands on her hips. "That would be too simple of a task." Her eyes swiveled towards Danny. "And your friend has yet to expire."

Lacey merely regarded the girl, her eyebrows knitted in confusion, the words sounding muddled in her mind. The blonde merely shook her head. "Rico," she merely grumbled.

It was then Lacey registered the male behind her, his dark, curly hair falling into his eyes as he kneeled beside her for further inspection. His brown eyes searched intensely, taking in the cloak that was heavily drenched in blood and the unnatural pallor of the darker male's skin. At long last, his earnest gaze shot up to the blonde, who merely rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just be swift about it."

Before Lacey could fully comprehend the unusual exchange, Rico was already sliding his hands underneath Danny, hauling the unconscious male into his arms and making a move to walk away.

Lacey scrambled to her feet, preparing to lunge towards the stranger as she screamed, "Release him!" But she was held back by the blonde, her grimy fingers nearly piercing into her arms underneath the flimsy material of her undergarments. "Unhand me!" Lacey fought against the smaller girl's grip, her eyes wide with fear as she watched the silent man disappear with Danny into the forest.

"If you want your friend to live, quit your struggling and follow us!" the blonde spat harshly, the words momentarily disarming Lacey. "Lest you would like to remain here until the men return," she added with a raise of a thick, unruly eyebrow.

Taking Lacey's silence as a no, the small girl smiled humorlessly before releasing Lacey's arms, disregarding the withering glare Lacey threw at her as she rubbed her aching arms. "Splendid. Now come with us."

A million questions swarmed through Lacey's mind, begging to be verbalized as she allowed herself to be nearly dragged by the arm, following the same route that the mysterious male had taken with Danny just a moment ago. The thick shrubbery snuffed out the remaining bit of sunlight that had yet to disappear under the horizon and were it not for the lit torch that was held by the young man, seated onto a large horse with Danny's body draped in front of him, she was sure that she'd be left completely blinded by the darkness.

The light from the flame illuminated the area, exposing a narrow but noticeable trail that was clearly not visible to any passerby from the well-used trail they were previously on, as well as another large horse with a sack secured to its side.

The blonde trudged over to the obedient animal, deftly anchoring her foot into one stirrup and swinging her leg around to sit comfortably onto the horse. She turned to face Lacey. "Well, we haven't got all day. Get on already."

Lacey resisted the near overwhelming urge to give the girl a biting response as she mimicked the girl's actions, seating expertly onto the horse in front of her as the other girl held onto the reigns.

The petite girl released a surprised bark of laughter as she nudged the horse to begin galloping. "My, my! And here I thought the most you could do is weep."

And it took everything within Lacey not to throttle the girl from where she sat behind her as they rode off into the dark forest.

* * *

What may have been a couple of minutes of tense riding felt like an eternity for Lacey as the horses' frantic galloping finally began to recede, signaling that they were approaching whatever their destination was.

The horses shot through what appeared to be a man-made clearance of the forest with several torches rooted into the dirt lining the perimeter. Just as Lacey was beginning to open her mouth to ask why they'd stopped, two large baskets anchored to several sturdy ropes suddenly descended from above.

When she craned her head to look up at where the contraption came from, her eyes widened at the sight.

A massive treehouse, whose structure was interwoven between the thick, wide trunks of several trees, was suspended above the air.

Lacey didn't have too long to admire the architecture nor ask questions before the blonde's prickly voice resonated within her ear.

"No time for senseless gazing! Off my horse!" the girl shouted, immediately leaping off the animal to assist Rico, who was placing Danny into one of the baskets.

Her concern for Danny outweighing the surging anger she felt for the smaller girl, Lacey immediately bounded off of the horse, rushing towards where Danny laid limply just the basket began its ascent. Lacey whipped her head towards the blonde, who was bounding into the other basket with Rico in tow, fear settling into her stomach once more but she swallowed deeply, not bothering to wait for the girl to demand that she join them as she swung her legs and sat into the confined space.

Lacey watched with keen interest while Rico silently pulled at the ropes with ease as the basket began to rise. Her heart thumped desperately in her chest, anxious to see who could possibly be able to save Danny at such a location.

Anxious to know who these people were and why they were willing to go to such extremes to help them.

But she soon got a glimpse of the man in question.

His piercing dark eyes.

The scruff of hair peppering the lower half of her face.

The telltale lock of hair that always fell in his eyes.

His eyebrows now raised ever so slightly in mild surprise at the sight of her as he stood over Danny, who now laid on a crudely cut wooden table.

And it took all of the blonde's efforts to restrain Lacey as she suddenly lunged for him, shouting, "YOU!"

The man sighed, not terribly surprised at the reaction, motioning for Rico to restrict Danny's limbs with rope as he grumbled, "For heaven's sake, Jo, remove her from the premises."

The sound of his voice caused renewed animosity to flood into Lacey's veins as she fought vehemently against Jo, a swirl of terror and fury escalating into dangerous levels within her as she screamed, "Release me! Don't you dare lay a finger on him!"

Despite Lacey's desperate cries, the man calmly continued to shuffle about the area as Rico expertly removed Danny's armor and tunic before he tied his motionless arms and pried open Danny's mouth to insert a cloth between his teeth.

If Lacey had been panicking before, the sight of the man heating what looked to be branding iron into a furnace carved within the immense wooden structure sent her into a fit of hysterics as Jo attempted to drag her away from the scene.

But Lacey witnessed the heated metal making direct contact onto the wound.

The way Danny jolted within the confines, his muffled wail of excruciating pain still managing to pierce the tense atmosphere.

But it was probably the putrid scent of burning flesh that truly sent her over the edge.

And with all of the atrocities that had occurred in such a short period of time, Lacey's body could no longer tolerate the amount of trauma inflicted onto her fragile spirit.

So it was with great surprise to Jo that Lacey had abruptly wilted in her arms and fallen into unconsciousness.


End file.
